
best of his ability, and with a willing heart.
His religion was carried into every duty of
life. He regarded himself as God's servant,
and his work as God's work. His efforts
were accepted, because they were prompted
by love to God and a sincere desire to do
His will. It was thus that Samuel became
a co-worker with the Lord of heaven and
earth. And God fitted him to accomplish a
great work for
Israel."—Patriarchs and
Prophets,
pages 573, 574.
Rizpah's Undying Love
12.
Who was Rizpah, and what
grievous sorrow did she experience?
2 Sam. 21:8, 9.
NOTE.—Rizpah, one of the "lowly folk of
the Great Book," had been a secondary wife
of King Saul. Tragedy after tragedy had
befallen her relatives and friends, and now
supposedly to atone for the heartless cruelty
of her deceased husband toward the Gib-
eonites, her two beloved sons, together with
five grandsons of Saul, were hanged in
Gibeah, not far from the former king's
royal palace.
13.
When this occurred, what did
Rizpah do? 2 Sam. 21:10.
NoTE.—To leave persons unburied indi-
cated that they were held in ignominy.
While others despised her sons as criminals,
Rizpah demonstrated her motherly love by
remaining at the place of execution until
they were honorably buried. She could not
do what she would like to do, so she did
what she could do by protecting their
bodies.
On the top of the rock, Rizpah spread
her mourning garment of sackcloth ; and
there for five months, from April to Octo-
ber, this devoted mother kept her lonely
vigil. With no tent for a shelter from the
scorching summer sun, or the chilling dews
of night, she guarded those lifeless bodies
from the vultures by day and the wild
beasts that prowled by night. Almost be-
yond the power of tongue to tell was the
tender, loving endurance of this mother in
Israel.
14.
When King David heard of this
rare example of mother love, what
did he do? 2 Sam. 21:11-14.
NoTE.—This was not a case of extreme
and unremitting sorrow, but rather intense
maternal love that led Rizpah to seek
the safety and honor of the dead.
As the heart of David was stirred to pity
and admiration, he ordered an honorable
burial. And God, looking down from above
to behold a mother's undying love and
sacrifice, caused this incident to be recorded
in His Book as a memorial to her.
Thoughts for Meditation
In this lesson two remarkable mothers
are presented—one for her faith, piety, and
influence upon her son Samuel; the other
for her heroism, constancy, and exhaustless
love for her ill-fated sons.
Beyond any human affection, we are re-
minded of another "love" that is without
parallel—of a love that "is infinite and a
tender pity surpassing a mother's yearning
sympathy for her wayward
child."—Steps
to Christ,
page 15.
Rizpah's mourning for her dead is not to
be taken as an example for the Christian
to follow in face of death. The apostle
Paul instructed the church at Thessalonica
concerning "them which are asleep," that
they "sorrow not, even as others which
have no hope." 1 Thess. 4:13. Ellen G.
White, commenting on this text, says:
"Now they rejoiced in the knowledge that
their believing friends would be raised from
the grave to live forever in the kingdom of
God. The darkness that had enshrouded
the resting place of the dead was dispelled.
A new splendor crowned the Christian faith,
and they saw a new glory in the life, death,
and resurrection of Christ.
" 'Even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with Him,' Paul wrote.
Many interpret this passage to mean that
the sleeping ones will be brought with
Christ from heaven; but Paul meant that
as Christ was raised from the dead, so God
will call the sleeping saints from their
graves and take them with Him to heaven.
Precious consolation! glorious hope! not
only to the church of Thessalonica, but to
all Christians wherever they may be."—
The Acts of the Apostles,
page 259.
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